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OA Q&A: Generation Tech

OpenArc

August 16, 2016

Well, we all have stories.

Every generation has awesome stories about discovering technology, from “I can change channelson the couch” to “What is this ‘electronic mail’ you speak of?” to “Now I do all my work remotely on Snapchat.” The speed of innovation today, while making things obsolete on a rolling basis, also fosters “the next generation” more quickly than ever before – which only adds to the global storehouse of these great stories. We’re proud to have a wide range of generations here at OA HQ, and we conducted a very scientific* survey among our twentysomethings, thirtysomethings and fortysomethings to weave our own oral history.

*sort of scientific****we sent around a Google doc

In the interest of full disclosure, and to save space, we have left out the results of two questions: “How many devices do you use in a day?” (because every answer was within 1 or 2 of “a lot”), and the very heady “What is the internet to you?” (Because a clear majority of respondents said “cat GIFs.”)

Ashley, 20sA Jurassic Park game that came with a joystick and hooked up to our computer.

Jay, 30sSome old Toshiba laptop that didn’t work anymore, but I tore it apart and tried to understand what the goofy phone cradle was for. Turns out it was a modem that you put your actual phone on. Like WarGames.

Diane, 40sA voice-activated penguin that followed me around.

Bob, 40sA Commodore 64. Sleep just wasn’t coming on Christmas Eve 1985, and my dad let me help set it up to surprise my little brother.

Mark, 20sIt’s pretty obvious that our capability to communicate is unmatched in all of history, but that’s a double-edged sword. People can (and do) share breaking news and world-changing ideas in seconds, but those seconds are also used to share discord and hate.

Josh, 30sAlmost no one leaves home without a miniature computer in their pocket that is 100 times more powerful than the computers used to send the first shuttle to the moon.

Diane, 40sTechnology has exponentially increased the pace of our lives. Time is compressed, and people want instant gratification. Our lives run at top speed, and no one waits for anything.

Jay, 30sTechnology saved society. The Industrial Revolution, medicine, agriculture, the cotton gin, you name it – our lives are better because of technology.

Bob, 40sWhat was that? I was finishing a Buzzfeed quiz. I got “High Waisted Jorts.”

We had a lot of fun with this one, and we want to hear from you. Visit our Facebook page and comment!